Percy and friends read the lost hero
by mrprost84
Summary: Percy and friends travel to Washington D.C. to read the Heroes of Olympus series with the Romans. Starting with the The Lost Hero.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: My brother Ryan begged me to let him say the disclaimer, so Ryan will you please say the disclaimer. **

**Ryan: My sister does not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus characters, books or anything else related to them. All these rights belong to Rick Riordan.**

**Prologue**

Percy's POV

Annabeth and I were sitting on the beach, before sunrise, a few weeks after we had defeated Gaea and the Giants. She still occasionally was plagued nightmares and visions about what had happened in Tartarus. She told me last night was one of the worst dreams she's had yet. As she told me about it, I offered her comfort and then suddenly a bright light appeared and Lord Hermes appeared and told us we had received a package. He asked me to sign for it, so I did while George subconsciously asked me if I had any rats. After Lord Hermes disappeared, we opened the package and inside were 5 books and a note.

The note read:

_ Dear Percy and friends, _

_ I know this may be a surprise but you are not the only demigod with a story to tell even though you are a part of this new series. So even though you and the Romans are not yet on peaceful terms, I would like to continue the peacemaking process by inviting all of the Romans and all of your Greek friends to get together to read these books. So that no one feels that they have a home court advantage or whatever you call it these days, I have arranged for the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater in Washington D. C. as well as hotel arrangements at the Arlington Demigod Inn & Suites have been made for everyone. Do not worry about monsters or anything like that because I have also surrounded the amphitheater with borders similar to the ones you have at camp. I have also invited all of the seven heroes' mortal families (if any) as well as Tyson, Grover, and Ella to join you. So I suggest you tell Chiron to have everyone to pack for an extended stay in D.C. Your Roman friends have received a similar letter and are on their way to D.C._

_Thank you for your service to Olympus,_

_Hera/Juno_

Annabeth immediately suggested not going just because Hera wrote the letter, but then I retorted by saying that I bet she would like to know what happened while I was missing and what happened with Jason, Hazel, Leo, Nico, Piper, and Frank while we were in Tartarus. She glared at me knowing that I was using one of her greatest weaknesses against her, the fact that she needs to know as much as possible. She finally relented and we went to wake Chiron up at the big house. After showing the note to a sleepy Chiron he told us to go back to sleep and he would tell everyone at breakfast and then we would leave after lunch.

So at breakfast Chiron announced that everyone would be going on a road trip provided by Hera/Juno because Jason was still here in order to catch up with his sister and he was dating Piper as well. Someone from the Athena cabin asked "Why?" He responded by telling us that Annabeth and Percy had received a package with several books that tell of Jason, Leo, Piper, Annabeth, Percy, Hazel, and Frank's adventures in stopping Gaea and the giants. And that we were meeting the Romans there on neutral grounds so that no one would feel left out. After breakfast everyone went to their cabins to pack for this trip.

We all left after lunch, Chiron suggested that I take Blackjack and some other Pegasi with us to take us to the amphitheater with Jason and the other seven who are at Camp Half-Blood to meet Reyna and the other Romans. Annabeth and I hopped on Blackjack who was happy to see me after being gone for 9 months. All the other campers were packed in the camp vans which said Mr. D's Strawberries.

When we got there, Annabeth was amazed at the architecture of the place, because it was circular with columns all around. Outside the main entrance was a sign that read closed for renovations. I suggested we wait here for the Romans. Reyna, Hazel, Frank, and Octavian all got there about an hour after us. We discussed seating arrangements and decided the Greeks on the right and the Romans on the left with the seven, camp leaders, mortal families, and other non-demigod friends in the middle. Then we went a few blocks away to check out the hotel, which was nice but according to Annabeth nowhere near as impressive as the amphitheater. I had the feeling this would not make the gods happy because guessing by the title, I assumed the gods had built this just so everyone would have a place to stay during the readings. I mean when the keys were handed out to the demigods the tags magically had a symbol appear below the number. For me it was trident, for Annabeth and the other Athena kids it was an owl. The larger cabins had entire floors whereas Jason, Nico, Thalia, and I had to share a floor. The Romans divided themselves by cohort. The mortals and non-demigod friends were on the first floor. The gods put themselves on the upper floors which included the penthouse.

We went back to the amphitheater and met the rest of the camps and all of other friends, families and took them over to the hotel to drop all the suitcases off and relax for the night. But before we could leave all of the Olympians appeared in front of us and said they would be joining us for the readings. Leo and his father, Hephaestus thought it would be cool to set up a video screen with a magically enhanced movie with what was being read. While they were at it I asked those two to make sure the speaker system was working. When the keys were handed out to the demigods the tags magically had a symbol appear below the number. For me it was trident, for Annabeth and the other Athena kids it was an owl. The larger cabins had entire floors whereas Jason, Nico, Thalia, and I had to share a floor. The Romans divided themselves by cohort. The mortals and non-demigod friends were on the first floor. The gods put themselves on the upper floors which included the penthouse. When I got to my room I knew that this hotel had definitely been built by the gods because my room was decorated as a beach side cabin. Tomorrow, the readings would start. I was actually kind of nervous.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus characters, books or anything else related to them. All these rights belong to Rick Riordan.**

Percy POV

This morning when we walked into the amphitheater, purple and orange cushions covered the seats. Percy figured one of the gods must have done this to make things more comfortable since they would be sitting here for several hours each day. Once everyone was settled, Chiron slapped his hoof against the floor of the amphitheater, stopping all conversation between the campers and said "Before we begin, Lady Hera or Juno, if you prefer, would like to say a few words. Hera got up and started to speak, saying "In order to continue the peace making process I have arranged for the two camps to read the books that were written about the Seven Heroes that stopped Gaea from rising and therefore I believe for those of us that do not know them, I would like to introduce them as well as others who helped in this quest. Please stand and wave when your name is called.

Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon/Neptune; Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena/Minerva; Leo Valdez, Son of Hephaestus/Vulcan; Piper McLean, Daughter of Aphrodite/Venus; Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter/Zeus; Hazel Levesque, Daughter of Pluto/Hades; and Frank Zhang, Son of Mars/Ares. While Hera was making the introductions Leo, Hephaestus, and the rest of the Hephaestus cabin was hooking all of the major players, gods, and a few of our friends up with those microphones that can attach to a shirt collar. Everyone else who helped the seven introduced themselves.

"I'll start" said Zeus. "Before you start, Lord Zeus, I would like to test the microphones", said Leo. SCREEEECH.

Percy, Jason, The Stolls and several other campers shouted at Leo "I think you just blew out all our eardrums."

"Alright just a few adjustments" Leo mumbled. You can start now Lord Zeus.

Nobody POV

Chapter I, Jason

**Even before he got electrocuted, Jason was having a rotten day. **

Thalia was surprised and asked "How could you get electrocuted? You can control lightning!"

Jason didn't know so he shook his head and said "Who knows?"

**He woke in the backseat of a school bus, not sure where he was, holding hands with a girl he didn't know. That wasn't necessarily the rotten part. The girl was cute, but he couldn't figure out who she was or what he was doing there. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to think.**

Percy commented "that does not sound good."

**A few dozen kids sprawled in the seats in front of him, listening to iPods, talking, or sleeping. They all looked around his age … fifteen? Sixteen? Okay, that was scary. He didn't know his own age.**

Thalia answered "You were fifteen". She looked worried about what her brother was about to go through.

"I know that now, Thalia" Jason said while he gave his sister a comforting hug.

**The bus rumbled along a bumpy road. Out the windows, desert rolled by under a bright blue sky. Jason was pretty sure he didn't live in the desert. He tried to think back… the last thing he remembered…**

**The girl squeezed his hand. "Jason, you okay?"**

The Stolls decided to tease Jason by shouting "Oh, come on, Jason it can't be that bad waking up next to a pretty girl." Jason and Piper both blushed beet red.

**She wore faded jeans, hiking boots, and a fleece snowboarding jacket. Her chocolate brown hair was cut choppy and uneven, with thin strands braided down the sides. She wore no makeup like she was trying not to draw attention to herself, but it didn't work. She was seriously pretty. Her eyes seemed to change color like a kaleidoscope – brown, blue, and green. **

"Awww." Aphrodite cooed, "Jason liked her before even knowing her name. I love how love at first sight works."

**Jason let go of her hand. "Um, I don't – " **

**In the front of the bus, a teacher shouted, "All right, cupcakes**, **listen up!"**

Percy told Grover "Since you are on the Council of Cloven Elders do you think you could reprimand Coach Hedge for talking to them like that?"

Coach Hedge shouted "You know I heard that, Percy. And don't think just because your dad is the god of the seas that you scare me one bit." Poseidon glared at Coach Hedge then decided to pour a bucket of water on him. To prevent further arguing, Percy motioned to Zeus to continue reading.

**The guy was obviously a coach. His baseball cap was pulled low over his hair, so you could just see his beady eyes. He had a wispy goatee and a sour face, like he'd eaten something moldy. His buff arms and chest pushed against a bright orange polo shirt. His nylon workout pants and Nikes were spotless whistle hung from his neck, and a megaphone was clipped to his belt. He would've looked pretty scary if he hadn't been five feet zero. When he stood up in the aisle, one of the students called, "Stand up, Coach Hedge!"**

"**I heard that!" The coach scanned the bus for the offender. Then his eyes fixed on Jason, and his scowl deepened. **

Annabeth and Reyna said "He knows you're not supposed to be there"

"Hey you two actually agreed on something, we must be getting somewhere with this peace making thingamajig." Nico said.

"Way to state the obvious, Death Breath" Thalia replied then motioned for her father to continue.

**A jolt went down Jason's spine. He was sure the coach knew he didn't belong there. He was going to call Jason out, demand to know what he was doing on the bus – and Jason wouldn't have a clue what to say. **

**But Coach Hedge looked away and cleared his throat. "We'll arrive in five minutes! Stay with your partner. Don't lose your worksheet. And if any of you precious little cupcakes causes any trouble on this trip, I will personally send you back to campus the hard way."**

**He picked up a baseball bat and made like he was hitting a homer. **

**Jason looked at the girl next to him. "Can he talk to us that way?"**

**She shrugged. "Always does. This is the Wilderness School. 'Where kids are the animals'"**

Percy asked "Is that the school motto?"

"Really, Seaweed Brain" Annabeth shook her head at him, and then he surprised her by kissing her on the cheek and whispering "Love you, too Wise girl"

**She said it like it was a joke they'd shared before.**

"**This is some kind of mistake," Jason said. "I'm not supposed to be here."**

"Yes you were supposed to be there, because otherwise we would never have met" Piper whispered to Jason.

**The boy in front of him turned and laughed. "Yeah, right, Jason. We've all been framed! I didn't run away six times. Piper didn't steal a BMW."**

The Hermes and Mercury campers all shouted "Go Piper!"

Katie slapped the Stolls on the head and Piper responded by shouting "And by the way I did not steal any cars. "

**The girl blushed. "I didn't steal that car, Leo!"**

"**Oh, I forgot, Piper. What was your story? You 'talked' the dealer into lending it to you?" He raised his eyebrows at Jason like, **_**Can you believe her?**_

**Leo looked like a Latino Santa's elf, with curly black hair, pointy ears, a cheerful, babyish face, and a mischievous smile that told you right away this guy should not be trusted around matches or sharp objects. His long, nimble fingers wouldn't stop moving – drumming on the seat, sweeping his hair behind his ears, fiddling with the buttons of his army fatigue jacket. **

**Either the kid was naturally hyper or he was hopped up on enough sugar and caffeine to give a heart attack to a water buffalo.**

Leo shouted "Hey!" then he thought about it and said "by the way, I am naturally hyper and Jason is right not to trust me around sharp objects."

"**Anyway," Leo said, "I hope you've got your worksheet, 'cause I used mine for spit wads days ago. Why are looking at me like that? Somebody draw on my face again?**

The Stolls whispered to each other that they should try to draw on Leo's face while he was sleeping tonight.

"**I don't know you," Jason said. **

**Leo gave him a crocodile grin. "Sure. I'm not your best friend. I'm his evil clone."**

"**Leo Valdez!" Coach Hedge yelled from the front. "Problem back there?"**

**Leo winked at Jason. "Watch this." He turned to the front. "Sorry Coach! I was having trouble hearing you. Could you use your megaphone, please?"**

**Coach Hedge grunted like he was pleased to have an excuse. He unclipped the megaphone from his belt and continued giving directions, but his voice came out like Darth Vader's. The kids cracked up. The coach tried again, but this time the megaphone blared: "The cow says moo!"**

Both camps cracked up at this. Even Reyna smiled, who was still somewhat pissed at Leo for destroying her city before they left for Rome.

**The kids howled, and the coach slammed down the megaphone. "Valdez!"**

Percy and the Stolls laughed and said "Ooh, someone's in trouble."

Annabeth and Katie then slapped both their heads and told them "Only you guys would know since you get into trouble just as much as he does."

**Piper stifled a laugh. "My god, Leo. How did you do that?"**

**Leo slipped a tiny Phillips head screwdriver from his sleeve. "I'm a special boy."**

"Only a Hephaestus kid would take a screw driver on a field trip," laughed Athena.

"**Guys, seriously," Jason pleaded. "What am I doing here? Where are we going?"**

**Piper knit her eyebrows. "Jason, are you joking?" **

"**No! I have no idea – "**

"**Aw, yeah, he's joking," Leo said. "He's trying to get me back for that shaving cream on the Jell-O thing, aren't you?"**

"Dude, Leo, you need to join us for next round of pranks. That is a classic!" Katie slapped their heads.

**Jason stared at him blankly. **

"**No, I think he's serious." Piper tried to take his hand again, but he pulled it away. **

"**I'm sorry," he said. "I don't – I can't – " **

"**That's it!" Coach Hedge yelled from the front. "The back row has just volunteered to clean up after lunch!"**

Percy said "I can't even count the number of times I got that punishment in school."

To which Annabeth replied "That's because you're a Seaweed Brain. And the trouble you get in is always big, and dramatic. I mean you blew up at least two busses, three schools, not to mention the St. Louis Arch and then jumped from the top into the Mississippi."

**The rest of the kids cheered.**

"**There's a shocker," Leo muttered.**

**But Piper kept her eyes on Jason, like she couldn't decide whether to be hurt or worried, "Did you hit your head or something? You really don't know who we are?"**

**Jason shrugged helplessly. "It's worse than that. I don't know who **_**I **_**am."**

A new camper from the Roman side asked "Why doesn't he remember anything?"

Jason mysteriously replied "I think the book will tell us later on"

**The bus dropped them in front of a big red stucco complex like a museum, just sitting in the middle of nowhere. Maybe that's what it was: The National Museum of Nowhere, Jason thought. A cold wind blew across the desert. Jason hadn't paid much attention to what he was wearing, but it wasn't nearly warm enough: jeans and sneakers, a purple T-shirt, and a thin black windbreaker. **

"**So, a crash course for the amnesiac," Leo said, in a helpful tone that made Jason think this was not going to be helpful. **

"Leo, you need to be more helpful to Jason," Piper lectured him.

"**We go to the 'Wilderness School'" – Leo made air quotes with his fingers. "Which means we're 'bad kids.' Your family, or the court or whoever, decided you were too much trouble, so they shipped you off to this lovely prison – sorry, 'boarding school' – in Armpit, Nevada, where you learn valuable nature skills like running ten miles a day through the cacti and weaving daisies into hats! And for a special treat we go on 'educational' field trips with Coach Hedge, who keeps order with a baseball bat. Is it all coming back to you now?"**

"**No." Jason glanced apprehensively at the other kids: maybe twenty guys, half that many girls. None of them looked like hardened criminals, but he wondered what they'd all done to get sentenced to a school for delinquents, and he wondered why he belonged with them. **

**Leo rolled his eyes. "You're really gonna play this out, huh? Okay, so the three of us started here together this semester. We're totally tight. You do everything I say and give me your dessert and do my chores –" **

Both camps turned and glared at Leo while Malcolm said "Leo, that move was not cool."

"Sorry 'bout that Jason." Leo apologized. Jason nodded his head as if to say no problem

"**Leo!" Piper snapped.**

"**Fine. Ignore that last part. But we **_**are**_** friends. Well, Piper's a little more than your friend, the last few weeks – " **

Reyna glared at Jason, because she liked Jason but never had the chance to act on those feelings. But she also considered Leo's sense of humor; no Roman she knew allowed themselves to have that much fun.

"**Leo, stop it!" Piper's face turned red. Jason could feel his face burning too. He thought he'd remember if he'd been going out with a girl like Piper. **

"**He's got amnesia or something," Piper said. "We've got to tell somebody." **

"Who would you tell? I mean Hedge would probably try to fix him by hitting him with the baseball bat." Percy exclaimed.

**Leo scoffed. "Who, Coach Hedge? He'd try to fix Jason by whacking him upside the head."**

Everyone but Hedge, and Percy laughed at this. Hedge cried out to Percy "I should whack you upside the head. "

Annabeth shook her head and muttered "Seaweed Brain."

**The coach was at the front of the group, barking orders and blowing his whistle to keep the kids in line; but every so often he'd glance back at Jason and scowl.**

"**Leo, Jason needs help," Piper insisted. "He's got a concussion or –" **

"**Yo, Piper." One of the other guys dropped back to join them as the group was heading into the museum. The new guy wedged himself between Jason and Piper and knocked Leo down. "Don't talk to these bottom-feeders. You're my partner, remember?"**

Percy stood up angrily ready to slice this person to ribbons, when Annabeth put a hand on his arm and whispered "We're not in Tartarus anymore you don't need to protect everybody from everything." Percy calmly sat back down. The Romans other than Frank, Hazel, and Jason were surprised because they never realized how loyal Percy is. The younger Greeks were also surprised because they had never seen Annabeth at camp this relaxed.

**The new guy had dark hair cut Superman style, a deep tan, and teeth so white they should've come with a warning label: DO NOT STARE DIRECTLY AT TEETH. PERMANENT BLINDNESS MAY OCCUR. He wore a Dallas Cowboys jersey, Western jeans and boots, and he smiled like he was God's gift to juvenile delinquent girls everywhere. Jason hated him instantly.**

"**Go away, Dylan," Piper grumbled. "I didn't ask to work with you." **

Jason muttered "I didn't ask for him to work with you either."

Apollo laughed "Jealous much, Jason?" Jason blushed red.

"**Ah, that's no way to be. This is your lucky day!" Dylan hooked his arm through hers and dragged her through the museum entrance. Piper shot one last look over her shoulder like, 911. **

**Leo got up and brushed himself off. "I hate that guy." He offered Jason his arm, like they should go skipping inside together. "I'm Dylan. I'm so cool, I want to date myself, but I can't figure out how! You want to date me instead? You're so lucky!**

"**Leo," Jason said, "you're weird."**

"**Yeah, you tell me that a lot." Leo grinned. "But if you don't remember me, that means I can reuse all my old jokes. Come on!"**

"Dude! That is a great idea. But we would advise against it 'cause with amnesiacs you can never be sure what they remember." The Stolls recommended.

Annabeth started applauding them. "Wow! Big words you used there, Stoll!"

**Jason figured that if this was his best friend, his life must be pretty messed up;**

"Unfortunately, all our lives are messed up." Nico stated.

**but he followed Leo into the museum.**

**They walked through the building, stopping here and there for Coach Hedge to lecture them with his megaphone, which alternately made him sound like a Sith Lord or blared out random comments like "The pig says oink."**

**Leo kept pulling out nuts, bolts, and pipe cleaners from the pockets of his army jacket and putting them together, like he had to keep his hands busy at all times. **

Everyone looked at Leo and noticed he was currently working on something involving a construction helmet, soda cans, nuts, bolts, and screws.

Leo finally noticed all the attention and shouted "What? Oh I finished my Magic Soda Hat. It's kinda like those hats you see at sporting events that people drink from. Only mine automatically scans your brain and fills with the drink you want."

**Jason was too distracted to pay much attention to the exhibits, but they were about the Grand Canyon and the Hualapai tribe, which owned the museum. **

**Some girls kept looking over at Piper and Dylan and snickering. Jason figured were the popular clique. They wore matching jeans and pink tops and enough makeup for a Halloween party. **

"I remember at Goode High, there were tons of girls that looked and acted like that." Percy stated.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow at him that said _excuse-me-but-I-should-be-the-only- girl-you-look-at._

Percy looked nervously at her and proclaimed "Sorry Annabeth, but these slutty girls used to ask me out all the time but I would always claim that I have a gorgeous girlfriend that lives in San Francisco. But they never seemed to believe me."

Annabeth then leaned her head on his shoulder and whispered into his ear "Nice save, Seaweed Brain."

**One of them said, "Hey, Piper, does your trip run this place? Do you get in free if you do a rain dance?**

**The other girls laughed. Even Piper's so-called partner Dylan suppressed a smile. Piper's snowboarding jacket sleeves hid her hands, but Jason got the feeling she was clenching her fists. **Like she was doing now.

"**My dad's Cherokee," she said. "Not Hualapai. 'Course you'd need a few brain cells to know the difference, Isabel."**

**Isabel widened her eyes in mock surprise, so that she looked like an owl with a makeup addiction. **

Athena stood up quickly and glared at Jason. "That is an insult to owls."

Jason shrugged his shoulders and meekly stated, "Sorry, Lady Athena."

"**Oh, sorry! Was your **_**mom**_** in this tribe? Oh, that's right. You never knew your mom."**

"That lady … Wait that's not right… That useless person did not just insult our mother." Gwen screamed. **(A/N: Is Gwen a daughter of Venus? If not, oh well.)**

**Piper charged her, but before a fight could start, Coach Hedge barked, "Enough back there! Set a good example or I'll break out my baseball bat!" **

**The group shuffled on to the next exhibit, but the girls kept calling out little comments to Piper.**

"**Good to be back on the rez?" one asked in a sweet voice**

"**Dad's probably too drunk to work," another said with fake sympathy. "That's why she turned klepto."**

**Piper ignored them, but Jason was ready to punch them himself.**

"So are we!" shouted everyone but Octavian, who was thinking something like "stop being such a whiny Greek"

**He might not remember Piper**, **or even who he was, but he knew he hated mean kids. **

**Leo caught his arm. "Be cool. Piper doesn't like us fighting her battles. Besides, if those girls found out the truth about her dad, they'd be all bowing down to her and screaming 'We're not worthy!'"**

"Why? What's so special about her dad?" Drew said snobbishly.

"**Why? What about her dad?" **Drew was fuming.

**Leo laughed in disbelief. "You're not kidding? You really don't remember that your girlfriend's dad – "**

"**Look, I wish I did, but I don't even remember **_**her**_**, much less her dad."**

**Leo whistled. "Whatever. We **_**have**_** to talk when we get back to the dorm."**

**They reached the far end of the exhibit hall, where some big glass doors led out to a terrace.**

"**All right, cupcakes," Coach Hedge announced. "You are about to see the Grand Canyon. Try not to break it. "**

"Oh please, Kelp Head over there destroys almost every national monument he goes to." Thalia exclaimed.

Everyone looks at Percy, expecting him to list all the monuments he has damaged.

"Fine, there's the St. Louis Arch, The space museum here in D.C., Hoover Dam, The famous prison off the coast of San Francisco, and Mt. St. Helens. I think that's it."

Hazel chirped in "you're forgetting Hubbard Glacier, Fort Sumter, the Coliseum, and whatever else is mentioned in these books."

Everyone except those who knew Percy well, were sitting with their jaws almost hitting the floor.

"**The skywalk can hold the weight of seventy jumbo jets, so you featherweights should be safe out there. If possible, try to avoid pushing each other over the edge, as that would cause me extra paperwork."**

"Seriously, Hedge! That is what you are worried about!" Zeus thundered, "You should be more concerned about my son! _His friends should be included as well, but if I said that it would show that I cannot be a strict and just ruler._

**The coach opened the doors, and they all stepped outside. The Grand Canyon spread before them, live and in person. Extending over the edge was a horseshoe-shaped walkway made of glass, so you could see right through it. **

"**Man," Leo said. "That's pretty wicked."**

"**Jason had to agree. Despite his amnesia and his feeling that he didn't belong there, he couldn't help being impressed.**

**The canyon was bigger and wider than you could appreciate from a picture. They were up so high that birds circled below their feet. Five hundred feet down, a river snaked along the canyon floor. **

"Sounds gorgeous" Lacy from the Aphrodite section called out.

**Banks of storm clouds had moved overhead while they'd been inside, casting shadows like angry faces across the cliffs. As far as Jason could see in any direction, red and gray ravines cut through the desert like some crazy god had taken a knife to it.**

Did one of you actually do that? Percy asked.

"Blame your uncles for that one, Son. They got me riled up for some reason and so I caused an earthquake to split the earth out there. But as an apology, I created the river that runs through the middle of it."

Rachel stated "That's definitely different from what they teach in mortal schools."

**Jason got a piercing pain behind his eyes. **_**Crazy gods **__**...**_** Where had he come up with that idea? He felt like he'd gotten close to something important—something he should know about. He also got the unmistakable feeling he was in danger.**

"Is that feeling new or surprising to you, Jason?" Thalia questioned.

"Not really. I mean, I know I haven't had as many quests as Percy, over there, but I have had my share of danger."

"**You all right?" Leo asked. "You're not going to throw up over the side, are you? 'Cause I should've brought my camera."**

**Jason grabbed the railing. He was shivering and sweaty, but it had nothing to do with heights. He blinked, and the pain behind his eyes subsided.**

"**I'm fine," he managed. "Just a headache."**

Jason mumbled under his breath "I wish it was just a headache."

**Thunder rumbled overhead. A cold wind almost knocked him sideways.**

"**This can't be safe." Leo squinted at the clouds. "Storm's right over us, but it's clear all the way around. Weird, huh?"**

**Jason looked up and saw Leo was right. A dark circle of clouds had parked itself over the skywalk, but the rest of the sky in every direction was perfectly clear. Jason had a bad feeling about that.**

"**All right, cupcakes!" Coach Hedge yelled. He frowned at the storm like it bothered him too. "We may have to cut this short, so get to work! Remember, complete sentences!"**

**The storm rumbled, and Jason's head began to hurt again. Not knowing why he did it, he reached into his jeans pocket and brought out a coin—a circle of gold the size of a half-dollar, but thicker and more uneven. Stamped on one side was a picture of a battle-ax. On the other was some guy's face wreathed in laurels. The inscription said something like IVLIVS.**

"**Dang, is that gold?" Leo asked. "You been holding out on me!"**

All the Mercury/Hermes kids' eyes glazed over at the thought of gold. The Stoll's started to plan to try to steal Jason's coin; but their father heard them and said "Boy's, I would advise against stealing that coin."

The boys reacted by shouting "Who are you and what have you done with our dad? I mean not wanting to steal something?"

**Jason put the coin away, wondering how he'd come to have it, and why he had the feeling he was going to need it soon.**

"**It's nothing," he said. "Just a coin."**

**Leo shrugged. Maybe his mind had to keep moving as much as his hands. "Come on," he said. "Dare you to spit over the edge."**

"Uggghhhh. Boys can be so disgusting." Thalia said. Artemis and many other girls just nodded their heads in agreement."

**They didn't try very hard on the worksheet. For one thing, Jason was too distracted by the storm and his own mixed-up feelings. For another thing, he didn't have any idea how to "name three sedimentary strata you observe" or "describe two examples of erosion."**

**Leo was no help. He was too busy building a helicopter out of pipe cleaners.**

"**Check it out." He launched the copter. Jason figured it would plummet, but the pipe-cleaner blades actually spun. The little copter made it halfway across the canyon before it lost momentum and spiraled into the void.**

"**How'd you do that?" Jason asked.**

**Leo shrugged. "Would've been cooler if I had some rubber bands."**

"It would've been cooler, 'cause then I could use a slingshot to start it and then it may have made it all the way across." Leo stated, bouncing up and down in his seat.

"**Seriously," Jason said, "are we friends?"**

"**Last I checked."**

"**You sure? What was the first day we met? What did we talk about?"**

"**It was …" Leo frowned. "I don't recall exactly. I'm ADHD, man. You can't expect me to remember details."**

Athena started telling everybody "that a demigod's ADHD has the demigod noticing too much, not too little. So Leo should - "

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, Thenie. Leo should remember the details, but it's weird that he doesn't." argued Ares.

"**But I don't remember you ****at all****. I don't remember anyone here. What if—"**

"**You're right and everyone else is wrong?" Leo asked. "You think you just appeared here this morning, and we've all got fake memories of you?"**

**A little voice in Jason's head said, **_**That's exactly what I think.**_

**But it sounded crazy. Everybody here took him for granted. Everyone acted like he was a normal part of the class—except for Coach Hedge.**

"**Take the worksheet." Jason handed Leo the paper. "I'll be right back."**

**Before Leo could protest, Jason headed across the skywalk.**

**Their school group had the place to themselves. Maybe it was too early in the day for tourists, or maybe the weird weather had scared them off. The Wilderness School kids had spread out in pairs across the skywalk. Most were joking around or talking. Some of the guys were dropping pennies over the side. About fifty feet away, Piper was trying to fill out her worksheet, but her stupid partner Dylan was hitting on her, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving her that blinding white smile. She kept pushing him away, and when she saw Jason she gave him a look like, **_**Throttle this guy for me.**_

Thalia piped up "I would gladly do that for you, little bro."

**Jason motioned for her to hang on. He walked up to Coach Hedge, who was leaning on his baseball bat, studying the storm clouds.**

"**Did you do this?" the coach asked him.**

**Jason took a step back. "Do what?" It sounded like the coach had just asked if he'd made the thunderstorm.**

**Coach Hedge glared at him, his beady little eyes glinting under the brim of his cap. "Don't play games with me, kid. What are you doing here, and why are you messing up my job?"**

"**You mean...you **_**don't**_**know me?" Jason said. "I'm not one of your students?"**

**Hedge snorted. "Never seen you before today."**

**Jason was so relieved he almost wanted to cry. At least he wasn't going insane. He ****was ****in the wrong place. "Look, sir, I don't know how I got here. I just woke up on the school bus. All I know is I'm not supposed to be here."**

"**Got that right." Hedge's gruff voice dropped to a murmur, like he was sharing a secret. "You got a powerful way with the Mist, kid, if you can make all these people think they know you; but you can't fool me. I've been smelling monster for days now. I knew we had an infiltrator, but you don't smell like a monster. You smell like a half-blood. So—who are you, and where'd you come from?"**

"Let's see. He's Jason Grace from Camp Jupiter or San Francisco."

Piper then smacked Leo on the head and said "we all know that Leo."

"Right, forgot about that."

**Most of what the coach said didn't make sense, but Jason decided to answer honestly. "I don't know who I am. I don't have any memories. You've got to help me."**

**Coach Hedge studied his face like was trying to read Jason's thoughts.**

"**Great," Hedge muttered. "You're being truthful."**

"**Of course I am! And what was all that about monsters and half-bloods? Are those code words or something?"**

"Ooohhh. We should make a super spy movie starring demigods." Nico said excitedly. "Better yet let it star us."

"Uhh, Death Breath it kind of is already happening unless you forgot about the giant movie screen on the stage." Will pointed out. Nico then blushed bright red.

**Hedge narrowed his eyes. Part of Jason wondered if the guy was just nuts. But the other part knew better.**

"**Look, kid," Hedge said, "I don't know who you are. I just know **_**what**_**you are, and it means trouble. Now I got to protect three of you rather than two. Are you the special package? Is that it?"**

"**What are you talking about?"**

**Hedge looked at the storm. The clouds were getting thicker and darker, hovering right over the skywalk.**

"**This morning," Hedge said, "I got a message from camp. They said an extraction team is on the way. They're coming to pick up a special package, but they wouldn't give me details. I thought to myself, Fine. The two I'm watching are pretty powerful, older than most. I know they're being stalked. I can smell a monster in the group. I figure that's why the camp is suddenly frantic to pick them up. But then **_**you**_**pop up out of nowhere. So, are you the special package?"**

"Travis, do you think Jason is the _special_ package?"

"Honestly, Connor, I don't know but I am sure that he is special to Piper over there."

**The pain behind Jason's eyes got worse than ever**_**. **__**Half-bloods. Camp. Monsters.**_**He still didn't know what Hedge was talking about, but the words gave him a massive brain freeze—like his mind was trying to access information that should've been there but wasn't.**

**He stumbled, and Coach Hedge caught him. For a short guy, the coach had hands like steel. "Whoa, there, cupcake. You say you got no memories, huh? Fine. I'll just have to watch you, too, until the team gets here. We'll let the director figure things out."**

"**What director?" Jason said. "What camp?"**

"**Just sit tight. Reinforcements should be here soon. Hopefully nothing happens before—"**

**Lightning crackled overhead. The wind picked up with a vengeance. Worksheets flew into the Grand Canyon, and the entire bridge shuddered. Kids screamed, stumbling and grabbing the rails.**

"Not good."

"**I had to say something," Hedge grumbled. He bellowed into his megaphone: "Everyone inside! The cow says moo! Off the skywalk!"**

"**I thought you said this thing was stable!" Jason shouted over the wind.**

"**Under normal circumstances," Hedge agreed, "which these aren't. Come on!" **

"That's the end of the chapter. Finally. Who's next?" Zeus asked.

"Before anyone answers that, I would like to say that in order to foster more peace, us gods will be leaving but we will continue to watch through Hephaestus TV. Also we will leave Chiron and Hestia here to break up any potential fights. And as a parting gift, to make these books seem even more real any physical injury or feeling will actually be felt by the person mentioned. For instance, say Percy gets hit in the head and passes out. Then until he is healed or the chapter ends, he will be unconscious. Tata everyone." Hera announced then waved and disappeared along with all the other gods.

"Great. Percy sighs as he thinks of all the times he gets hurt during his quests." Annabeth then begins too comfort him and whispers in his ear "we all were hurt in the stories so no need to feel guilty, Percy."

"I'll be fine, Annabeth. Alright now that, that twist has been announced, who's reading next?"

Reyna stands up and says "Hand the book over here, Jackson."


End file.
